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User blog:Gcapp1959/Degrassi 1.0.1 - segment eleven (provisionally numbered)
Provisionally-numbered segment Geoff and Voula walked into the freshly-painted halls of Degrassi High in early September 1990, as workmen still finished up on some of the rooms, and furniture and books were still being toted inside. Geoff remarked at how familiar the school looked from when it was his elementary school, and yet how more upscale it looked with the renovations. The Panther logo had already been applied to a couple of walls, and the school colours were shown as highlights along walls and lockers. Looking down at them from a balcony was Dwayne Myers, who’d managed to move to Grade 10, and two new sidekicks he’d picked up: Grade 11 students Tabi Smith and Nick Jones. Grade 10. Not all that many people anymore were sneering at Geoff and Voula’s relationship, which seemed to be no less reliable than before. Not as many were cajoling them to “do what comes naturally”, since it had proven futile before. They were in a bigger fish bowl now, though, and a small handful of students, most of them from Queen Alexandra, figured Voula and Geoff should still be free agents and asked out. They politely turned the offers down. Before many of those offers had been made, though, Dwayne, Tabi and Nick had begun unsanctioned hazing of the newest arrivals, including ones in Dwayne’s own grade. Among the victims known personally by Geoff were Snake, then Wheels, and then Joey. Wheels and Snake were got early. When Geoff heard of an incident in the “Quad” involving Kathleen and Melanie, an area where juniors and seniors ate and claimed it as their own, he and Voula convinced a group of 9s and 10s to go in and claim it for their own. “There’s strength in numbers,” Voula told them. “If a few of us go in, they can intimidate.” “Tomorrow, we enter and stand for our rights,” Geoff said. “And we go in without violence, without stooping to their tactics, and laughing at any stunts they pull on us. They may laugh at us, but we will force it to be laughing with us because we will laugh with them.” It worked! 136 students of Grades 9 and 10 walked into the Quad, resulting in first silence, and then catcalls. The freshmen and sophomores sat down in every empty seat, including ones at tables occupied by juniors and seniors, and stood around in other places, and ate their food. One female senior student grabbed a freshman’s sandwich, peeled it apart and smeared it in the girl’s hair. The senior and her friends began to laugh, but as the freshman also laughed, it spread generally around the Quad, all four grades laughing. The juniors and seniors stopped laughing and smiling so much when they saw that their tease was being treated as mere slapstick humour and not as humiliation. Outraged activists among the two senior grades jumped up and grabbed two freshmen boys and began tying them up around a support pylon, while putting bras on the boys. The freshmen and sophomores surrounded the seniors, producing their own supply of bras and offering them as “spares” if needed. They approached the activists and asked, “would you like us to tie you up as well?” It produced such a loud noise, the whole event, that senior staff showed up and, with the activists prevented from leaving the vicinity of their captives, those activists ended up being detained. The freshmen and sophomores began singing, “Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! The Quad belongs to all!” They began to sing it over and over and urged the juniors and seniors to sing it with them, and some of them joined in, eventually shaming others to do so as well. For the next few days, the freshmen and sophomores continued to “occupy” the Quad in this way, until they could walk in and use it without challenge. Before that, however, there was a discussion in Mr. Walfish’s English class. He’d been trying to encourage a healthy discussion on the book “Lord of the Flies” and getting abject silence. Finally, he asked the students what they wanted to talk about, giving some suggestions. Then Erica Farrell suggested abortion. It inspired a debate among the students. Mr. Walfish had to regulate it and get only one person on the floor at a time. After Michelle and some others spoke thusly, Mr. Walfish recognized Geoff. “Some of you who favour abortion access are saying that the unborn baby isn’t a person, isn’t human. I’d like to point something out. You are saying this. You are judging this little human being in the womb as a non-person, as a non-human. “For you girls, I’d like to point out that 70 years ago, you weren’t persons, either. Men decided that you aren’t. That you don’t have the vote, that you can’t run for Parliament. What if that hadn’t changed? How would you feel about men deciding that you are not a person? “For those of you who are black, a hundred and fifty years ago, you weren’t persons either. You were property... to be bought, sold, traded, whipped, injured, maimed, killed, at the whim of your owner. How do you feel about the fact that white men decided you weren’t human or persons? Is that a right thing to do? “So the same way, why do you think that you can decide whether an unborn baby is a person, a human? Is that for you to decide? Are you deciding because, like the white men and their black slaves, or the men and their daughters and wives, it suits you and your rights and your interests to keep from defining those others as human? Are you deciding the unborn baby is not a person because it provides you with choices that you otherwise wouldn’t have? Or are you deciding based on science and biology and simple common sense that we don’t instantly become a human being when we exit our mother’s vagina? “After fighting for recognition for yourselves as people, how can you girls now deny recognition to someone who’s under your control?” There was a long silence, moments of self-evaluation. Heather and Liz were among those who nodded at Geoff. Spike seemed pensive. L.D. and Lucy, two of those in favour of abortion, seemed to be searching for a counter-argument. “Interesting point, Geoff,” Mr. Walfish said. “Black people’s identity being decided by whites? Women’s by men? Unborn babies by those who’ve been born?” He leaned against his desk. “Comments... is that a fair comparison?” ** Although Mr. Raditch intervened during Joey’s “initiation” and caught sight of the perps, he didn’t stop them in the act. The “three perps” were eyeing Geoff now. As far as Dwayne was concerned, they’d saved the “best for the last”, though it didn’t mean Geoff was the last person they’d go after. Geoff noticed Tabi eyeing him speculatively while he and Voula were eating in the cafeteria. When Voula got up to go see some friends nearby, Tabi walked over and sat down in front of Geoff. “I wanna date with you, Capp.” “You want. I don’t,” Geoff replied. “I’m ‘steady’ with Voula. Besides...” Geoff paused to choose diplomatic language. “I’m not your type.” “You’re not my type... yet,” Tabi declared. “I intend you to be my type.” “Well, I’m afraid it won’t happen. I’m no more likely to change my ways, likes and dislikes than you are. Just put the whole notion out of your mind.” “I hear talk you’re a virgin,” Tabi remarked with a smirk. “Me and few hundred others,” Geoff rejoined. “Thank God,” he continued with reverent thoughts, “that being sexually active is still the minority, not the majority. But even if 99 percent of the students – which would leave less than 15 students – were sexually active, it wouldn’t change my own preference or status. I choose my own path, Tabitha.” “What kind of a wuss are you?! You ain’t a man until you do, y’know.” “And if I did have sex,” Geoff replied, “I’d still not be a man, because I still have to finish my education and be able to hold a job and be able to support a wife and family. It’s not until I can do that, and do a creditable job at it, that I will even begin to think of myself as a man.” “Excuse me, Tabitha,” Voula declared. “But you are sitting in my seat. And as you have predatory intentions, you are not welcome any longer to borrow it.” Tabi stood up, glaring at Voula, who gazed back without flinching. Tabi sneered, then gave Voula a shove before turning to head back to her previous seat. Voula, however, had assumed a foot stance that made her more resistant to the mild shove Tabi used. Voula sat back down. “What’d she want?” “A date. To change me to suit her. And I would imagine she wanted to produce a state of affairs in which I am sexually active, though what part she personally planned to play in that, she did not say.” Voula snickered. “I heard that last part and that was a good answer you gave.” She smiled warmly. “Any more thought about who that wife of yours might be?” “I have a hunch it’s someone I know,” Geoff grinned at her. Voula and Geoff also prayed about Dwayne’s trio. A few days later, Dwayne, Nick and Tabi met Geoff as he was closing up his locker. Seemingly to the trio’s advantage, the hallway was mostly deserted. Nick dropped his cap on the floor. “Pick it up,” Dwayne said. “Bending down is good exercise,” Geoff said. “I think you could use some.” “You think these muscles need exercise?!” Dwayne jeered, flexing his arms in a show. “I mean your moral muscles,” Geoff replied. “They’re the ones that need exercise. As do the spiritual muscles.” “Pick up my cap, Capp!” “I choose not to,” Geoff replied. He was praying hard at the moment. “You pick it up to show that you have the humility to bend down in front of others.” Faster than Geoff could follow the action, the three had hoisted Geoff off his feet and begun to hurry down the corridor, but in answer to Geoff’s continuing prayer, they abruptly stopped, and as Geoff heard a throat being cleared, he was roughly, though not violently, lowered to the floor on his behind. Geoff looked up to see Vice-Principal Daniel Raditch. “I must check with the physical education department,” Mr. Raditch declared, “on why this new exercise was not first cleared with the office. Would you please tell me which of the phys-ed teachers required you to learn this? Better yet, you three could accompany me to the office and we can discuss this personally.” By this time, Geoff had climbed back to his feet. “Geoff, you okay?” Mr. Raditch asked. “I think so, sir,” Geoff replied. “You’re an answer to my prayers!” “I’ll take care of this, Geoff.” He herded Tabi, Nick and Dwayne to the office. Later that day, Geoff passed Dwayne and Nick in the hall, and they had obvious anger in their faces. The threesome tried three more times to haul Geoff off for initiation, and again were intercepted before they could retreat with their hostage into hiding; twice on the way, and once finding a staff member unexpectedly in the place they planned to do the indignity. Each time, the discipline was more severe. The fourth time overall, Geoff saw Dwayne being escorted out of the school mid-day, his mother with him, as he had evidently been suspended for a few days, and barred from attending the Friday dance at the school. Dwayne’s mother appeared to be a sullen-faced woman who, even while walking out, was protesting her son’s suspension and claiming to Mr. Raditch that Dwayne was a “model student”. Friday was also voting day for the student council elections for Grade 9 reps and a replacement for the activity representative who had moved away during the summer. Tabi’s friend Nora was a candidate and Dwayne and Nick had agreed to vote for Nora. Nora lost by one vote to another candidate. When Dwayne, Tabi and Nick were back in school in the middle of the following week, they sullenly regarded Geoff but they pulled no more stunts. ** In late January 1991, Voula and Geoff were feeling more and more sure of what their hearts were saying. They were also feeling more sure of what the other was thinking. And on Sunday 17 March, at the Capp house, where the “shared” birthday celebration was taking place that year, the mothers had just lit the candles on both cakes. “Make wishes!” Mrs. Capp told them. Geoff gazed at the candles, looked at Voula, who’d gazed at hers. Then, he put his hand on hers. “Voula... would you marry me?” There were gasps from their parents. “Yes, Geoff!” “Should I make another wish, Mom?” Geoff asked. “One just got answered.” “Me, too,” Voula added. “A second wish?” “Blow them out, you two,” her father laughed, “before they spill melted wax all over the icing!” Geoff and Voula blew out the candles. “For a shy fellow who underestimated himself,” Leonidas told Geoff a few minutes later, “you certainly are looking far ahead by proposing marriage already!” “Yes... about... six or seven years, I guess.” “So long?” Geoff shrugged. “I’d like to be complete... or... nearly there, through post-secondary education. Marriage might be a... bit of a... well, the responsibilities of one might distract from those of the other. I’d rather... be able to give my full attention.” “I understand. I had the same inclination. I finished my post-secondary studies before I married Voula’s mother. Our parents understood.” ** Monday evening, Geoff and Voula went to a Woolco store and picked out engagement rings, one for the male being a Greek custom. Seeing as it was going to be quite a long engagement, Geoff thought it a proper affirmation of his commitment. After making the purchase, Geoff stood with Voula in a quiet area of the store, took out her ring, and held Voula’s extended left hand. “Please accept this,” Geoff said to her, “as a token of my promise to marry you, at the time our families agree is proper.” Voula smiled as Geoff slipped the ring onto her finger, then she took out the one her parents helped her purchase for Geoff. She held Geoff’s right hand. “Having accepted your proposal, Geoff,” Voula said, “please accept this as a token of my promise to marry you, when our families agree on the time.” She slipped the finger up onto Geoff’s finger. They stood for a moment, beaming at each other, before leaving the store and hurrying to catch the bus home. Tuesday morning, Voula was sitting at her desk in her first period of the day, English class. “I missed you yesterday,” Heather said, coming by to her desk immediately in front of Voula’s. “Happy birthday. Say, did you know Hamid Bhandari’s got a new baby cousin? Born on Monday morning... been named Sav'''taj.” “Thank you,” Voula replied. “Hey, Hamid, congratulations on your new cousin.” “Thanks, Voula,” Hamid nodded. “It’s my uncle and aunt’s first child.” “Anything special hap– hey, what’s this?!” Heather asked of Voula, noticing a gleaming object on Voula’s finger. ***** ''end of eleventh segment (provisionally numbered)'' ''[incorporates copyrighted story elements from the DH episodes (#1-2) “A New Start”. It also references the continuing character of Sav Bhandari on '''Degrassi: The Next Generation.]'' Category:Blog posts